The present invention relates to write heads for magnetic disk drives and more particularly to methods of reducing side writing of the write head in magnetic disk drives.
Magnetic head disk drive systems have been widely accepted in the computer industry as a cost-effective form of data storage. In a magnetic disk drive system, a magnetic recording medium in the form of a disk rotates at high speed while a magnetic read/write transducer, referred to as a magnetic head, xe2x80x9cfliesxe2x80x9d slightly above the surface of the rotating disk. The magnetic disk is rotated by means of a spindle drive motor. The magnetic head is attached to or formed integrally with a xe2x80x9csliderxe2x80x9d which is suspended over the disk on a spring-loaded support arm known as the actuator arm. As the magnetic disk rotates at operating speed, the moving air generated by the rotating disk in conjunction with the physical design of the slider lifts the magnetic head, allowing it to glide or xe2x80x9cflyxe2x80x9d slightly above and over the disk surface on a cushion of air, referred to as an air bearing. The flying height of the magnetic head over the disk surface is typically only a few tens of nanometers or less and is primarily a function of disk rotation, the aerodynamic properties of the slider assembly and the force exerted by the spring-loaded actuator arm.
The dimensions of a slider""s transducer can be a substantial factor in defining the number of data tracks that may be written onto a magnetic disk. Specifically, the effective magnetic width of the pole tip region of the magnetic transducer is directly related to the physical width, as well as to other factors such a flying height above the rotating disk, in the case of flying head technology. In turn, the transducer""s magnetic width relates to the width of each track written to the storage medium. If the width of the pole tip region of the transducing member is made relatively smaller, a greater number of tracks can be written in the same recording area. Therefore, the width of the pole tip region of a magnetic transducer is inversely related to track density of the magnetic storage medium.
However, the reduction in width of the pole tip also limits the amount of magnetic flux flowing to the pole tip for writing operations. One solution to this problem is to create a pole tip that has a xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d like shape, herein referred to as the T-head. The wider part of the xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d conducts magnetic flux to the bottom of the xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d. This enables sufficient magnetic flux to flow into the pole tip, which is the bottom tip of the xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d like structure, for writing operations.
Yet, this T-head configuration has its own problems. The top part of the T-head, which is the horizontal part, has four corners exposed to the air bearing surface, directly over the magnetic disk that is being written. These corners create extraneous magnetic fluxes, which causes side-writing and therefore reduces the track density.
A need therefore exists for providing a T-head with significantly reduced side-writing during the write operation of the magnetic transducer.
A principle objective of the present invention is to provide a T-head with reduced side-writing and a method for making a T-head with reduced side-writing.
In view of the foregoing objects, the present invention provides a T-head design that recesses portions of the T-head to increase the distance between the recessed portion of the T-head and the magnetic disk. This would reduce the side-writing of the T-head. The method for recessing a portion of the T-head is performed in a focused ion beam (FIB) operation.